ရှမ်းစာ (Shan Sa)
Shan paper making (ရှမ်းစာ shan sa) is the handmade bark paper tradition of Shan State — using mulberry (sa tree, Broussonetia papyrifera) and local plant fiber to produce paper for Buddhist manuscript copying, folded book (parabaik) production, and umbrella making. The Shan sa paper tradition is closely related to Lao sa paper (CRAFT-0405) and Thai saa paper as part of the shared Theravada Buddhist manuscript culture of mainland Southeast Asia — but the Shan tradition produces a distinctively thicker, more textured paper than the Lao or Thai equivalents, suited to the heavier Shan Buddhist manuscript format (accordion-folded parabaik books rather than palm-leaf manuscripts). The thickness calibration is the critical tacit knowledge: Shan sa must be thick enough to survive the folding stress of accordion-book use over decades while remaining flexible enough not to crack at fold lines.
Risk level: Endangered · Myanmar national ICH list (Buddhist manuscript culture)
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